Combination of low blood pressure response,low exercise capacity and slow heart rate recovery during an exercise test significantly increases mortality risk

Abstract

Aims: We investigated the combination of low systolic blood pressure (SBP) response, low exercise capacity (EC) and slow heart rate recovery (HRR) during an exercise test in mortality prediction.

Patients and methods: Our population consisted of 3456 patients from the Finnish Cardiovascular Study. A failure of SBP to increase >42?mmHg was defined as a low response. Low EC was defined as Results: During a median follow up of 10.0?years, 537 participants died. Reduced SBP response, low EC and slow HRR were independent predictors of all-cause and CV mortality (p?p?Conclusion: The combination of reduced SBP response, low exercise capacity, and reduced HRR in an exercise test is associated with very high mortality and can be used in risk stratification.

• Key messages

• The combination of low blood pressure response, low exercise capacity and slow heart rate recovery in an exercise test is able to identify a group of patients in a very high mortality risk.

• These parameters are easily derived from an exercise test.

• All parameters are commonly available in clinical practice.